Overview (5)

Mini Bio (1)

He's a heavyweight professional boxer from Jay, Oklahoma, who made national news Thursday, Feb. 15, 1996, when he announced that he is HIV positive. He was suspended from worldwide boxing when he tested positive prior to a boxing match against Arthur Weathers in Las Vegas. He said he plans to pursue AIDS awareness activities.

In 1988, he won the Kansas City, Mo., Golden Gloves, advanced to the National Gloves in Omaha and got invited to the western Olympic trials. He came up short in Concord, Calif., where he lost a split decision to heavyweight Ray Mercer, who went on to win a gold medal in Seoul.

Originally aspired to be an actor, but with all the boxers in his family going on at that time, his mother pressured him to try out for the Golden Gloves. He won. He was 25-0 before he realized that boxing was something he wanted to do full-time.

Always wanted to act, but fell into boxing because of his mother's wishes. There was so much success in the family with boxing that she encouraged him to compete.

From the age of 13 to 19 Tommy entered every tough man contest he could. Winning 49 fights out of the 50 he participated in. During this time starting in December of 1976 he also was fighting amateur boxing matches. In 1980 he also won the Jr. Olympics. He continued this until 1988 where his total of amateur fights was 242 with an impressive amount of wins which was 222 with only 20 losses.

Father of 4 sons.

Making a boxing comeback. [February 2007]

Currently lives in Sparta, Tennessee, where he is writing his autobiography. [May 2006]

Personal Quotes (2)

(On boxing): "It was a life changing experience. Very interesting and something I look forward to doing again. Acting is a different challenge."

[on how he sexually-contracted HIV]: "Wilt Chamberlain had nothing on me. Infidelity was one of my biggest battles in life. I couldn't overcome it. It probably helped my first marriage crumble".